TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Central Florida man was arrested after being accused of bringing in animals from a high-risk area for a flesh-eating parasite, according to Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
Simpson announced the arrest on Friday, saying that the man — identified as Roger Rodriguez Vega of Maitland — allegedly re-entered the state with livestock.
In a release, officials with Simpson’s office said that Vega had been denied entry at a Florida agricultural inspection station for failing to provide veterinary inspection documentation required under Florida’s New World Screwworm (NWS) emergency protections.
But Vega came back into the state anyway through Georgia to bypass the station, bringing 24 sheep and goats that originated from Texas — a high-risk area subject to enhanced import restrictions, the release shows.
Now, Vega faces 24 counts of unlawful entry of animals into the state, and one count resisting an officer without violence.
“Florida has taken a proactive and aggressive approach to protecting our livestock, agricultural industry, pets, wildlife, and food supply from the very real threat of New World Screwworm, and we will not tolerate anyone who breaks the law and attempts to circumvent those protections,” Simpson said.
That said, state officials assured that there haven’t been any cases of NWS reported in Florida — yet.
WHAT ARE NEW WORLD SCREWWORMS?
Per experts, the NWS are maggots that often enter animals through open wounds, feeding on an animal’s living flesh. As a result, infestations can be fatal if not treated.
“The New World Screwworm — a destructive parasite that targets warm-blooded animals — was eradicated from the U.S. more than four decades ago," state officials announced. “Its return would pose a serious threat to livestock, wildlife, and domestic animals, particularly in states like Florida with warm climates and abundant animal populations.”
Experts state that screwworm eggs are deposited in a “shingle-like manner” at the edges of superficial wounds, with larvae feeding by burrowing into the wound like a screw — hence the name.
While the NWS had been present in the southwestern U.S. since at least 1842, it was first documented as a major problem in 1933 after shipments of infested animals came in from the region.
At the time, the federal government and the state of Florida began developing tactics to deal with the threat, such as education programs, special insecticides, and radiation to sterilize the insects.
But in the meantime, producers lost out on tens of millions of dollars each year as the NWS ravaged livestock, data shows.
Eventually, the U.S. and Mexico worked together to push these infestations down to the southern borders of Mexico in 1986.
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There was a brief reemergence in the Florida Keys affecting the endangered Key deer back in 2016, though the outbreak was ultimately eradicated.
However, Florida officials said that infestations have been spreading north from Panama since 2023, culminating in the discovery of NWS in a bovine in South Texas last month.
WHAT ARE THE NEW EMERGENCY RULES?
To prevent the NWS from infiltrating Florida again, Simpson’s emergency rule imposes temporary restrictions on the importation of warm-blooded animals originating from certain high-risk and infested areas.
The latest guidelines are as follows:
- HIGH-RISK AREAS
- All warm-blooded animals originating from a high-risk area and entering Florida must be accompanied by an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI), valid for five days from the date of inspection, documenting that all animals listed have been inspected and found free of contagious and infectious diseases and pests, including NWS.
- The OCVI must include the statement: “All animals listed on the OCVI have been inspected and are free from screwworm larvae infestation.”
- COUNTIES WITH CONFIRMED NWS DETECTIONS AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES
- No imports of warm-blooded animals originating from a county with a confirmed NWS detection or any surrounding county until Friday, June 12.
- Following June 12, all warm-blooded animals originating from a county with a confirmed NWS detection or any surrounding county and entering Florida must receive an FDACS Certificate of Animal Movement with a prior permission number obtained at least two days before arrival.
- The FDACS Certificate of Animal Movement will require an OCVI and documentation that all animals have been treated with an effective prevention/treatment for NWS.
- RESCUE AND SHELTER ANIMALS
- Rescue dogs, rescue cats, shelter dogs and shelter cats originating from states with confirmed NWS detections are prohibited from entering Florida until further notice.
Federal officials said that the USDA and Texas are implementing quarantines as necessary and working to release sterile NWS flies to fight potential population growth.
Meanwhile, signs of screwworm infestation in animals include the following symptoms:
- Wounds in living animals infested with maggots
- Blood-tinged discharge from the infested wounds
- Foul odor
- Discomfort
- Depressed/no eating
- Decreased milk production
- Seclusion from rest of herd or flock
If you come across a suspected case of screwworms or have questions about potential infestations, you can call the FDACS at (850) 410-0900 or click here.